12 February 2015

MOO Doggy Soap Bars

Our dogs often become a part of our family, giving love and loyalty to us, and trusting us to care for them. We can feed them and make sure they are immunised, walk them and play with them and give them toys to play with.

And we bath them. Yes, our dogs need bathing regularly to maintain clean, healthy coats and skin. But did you know your dog can be as sensitive to chemicals in soaps and shampoos and end up with irritated and painful rashes, just like we can if the shampoo isn't right?

This Doggy Wash is gentle, safe and easy to make. This soap includes tea tree oil as a natural antibacterial, vitamin E for skin healing and a gentle glycerine soap base. Vegetable glycerine is easy to use (melt-and-pour), a natural vegetable product, very moisturizing, and extremely gentle on sensitive skin.

Step 1. Fill your double boiler with water and bring it to the boil. Turn heat down so the water is just simmering.

Step 2. While the water is coming to the boil prepare your moulds. I use silicone cupcake moulds and spray them with a little cooking spray. Put them on a baking sheet so they have a stable base to cool on. You can use empty cartons, cans, muffin pans - anything that can withstand the heat of the melted soap base (it gets very hot).

Step 3. Cut your block of glycerine into chunks, about 2cm in size.

Step 4. Add the soap base to your double boiler. Pop the thermometer in the side and keep an eye on the temperature - you don't want it to go over 50 degrees Celsius. Stir the soap so it melts evenly. If the temperature goes up, take the pot off the heat and continue to stir until all the soap has melted.

Step 5. Take the soap off the heat and stir in the Vitamin E oil and the tea tree oil.

Step 6. Fill your moulds. I use a soup ladle, you can use a jug or a large spoon - anything that will hold the hot liquid.

Step 7. Spritz the top of each mould with the rubbing alcohol as soon as you fill it.

Step 8. Let the soaps harden. This will take at least a couple of hours. Turn them out of the moulds. Wrap in plastic wrap or store in a sealed plastic bag or container. Glycerine will "sweat" during humid weather if not wrapped up, which doesn't affect its usefulness but is not so pretty. It's the same principle that draws moisture to your skin after using glycerine soap, so it's actually a good thing.

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This is my record of the daily challenges the Armstrong family faces as we live life the Cheapskates way - debt free, cashed up and laughing - and try to stay that way.

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